Lili Plotkin provides her contact information and describes herself as hungry to learn and a born researcher. She enjoys interacting with and learning from brilliant people. She has experience in advertising and public relations at RIT and has held positions at Roberts Communications and Partners + Napier where she conducted research, wrote briefs and strategies, and assisted on projects.

1. Lili Plotkin
Strategy Portfolio
43 Brett Rd.
Rochester, NY 14609
585.354.2456
lili.plotkin@gmail.com

2. Let me tell you something about myself.
If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be this one: Hungry.
If I had to describe myself in another word, it would be this one: Thinker.
No, not hungry thinker like, I think I’ll have a ham sandwich. I’m hungry to
learn. I’m a born researcher, with a sense of intuition so strong that if I wasn’t a
Planner, I’d probably be the next Miss Cleo. I’m so deep into trends and finding
out how people interact with them that pretty much every aspect of this field ex-
cites me. Yep, even Googling. Man, I love Googling.

3. There’s something else, though. I’m a huge fan of people--that’s right,
any person whatsoever. I love to work with brilliant people, and my ideal
situation would be to surround myself with individuals who challenge me on
a daily basis. Planning is just that. Whether it’s consumers, clients, or even
my co-workers, I do my best work when I’m interacting with others.
Let me show you what I can do.

4. But first, let me show you...
how i think.
I’m a digger, first and foremost.
Here’s my research/dig process, from start to finish.
1. Question Everything 4. Listen to real people
When presented with a new challenge, I like to think about every possible One of my favorite research tactics is to go directly to the people that
question I could ask. Like, why do people care about this? Why don’t people experience the product, business, or person, interact with them, and hear it
care? What has been done to make them care before? And it’s not just straight from them. I can’t put words in their mouth. But they can definitely put
situational questions, either. I want to know about the challenge too--whether it’s words in mine.
a new product, a business, or a person.
Above all, I want to understand the client’s business, so I can love it as much 5. Be critical
as they do. I’m not kidding myself. I know that whatever I’m working on is a challenge
for a reason. Or, if it’s not, it might be soon. I want to examine the dark side of
2. Google it whatever I will be writing strategy for, so I can think about how to put its best
This is the easy part. I just start Googling. My qualitative and quantitative foot forward when the time comes.
research classes at my alma mater taught me how to search for information
creatively, efficiently, and cleverly. Oh yeah, and I write everything down, too. 6. Make it digestible
3. Listen to the social networks Research I produce will eventually be boiled down into an insight, and then
Once I find out what information there is on the net, I like to check out a promise on a creative brief. It’s my goal to always present information in the
trending topics on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. When people feel most clear, efficient, and useful way possible.
* **
strongly about something, they talk about it--for better or worse. Or, if they
don’t feel anything at all, and they don’t talk...that’s even more dangerous. I
want to know that. I want to have my finger on the pulse.

5. Creative Brief
Website Design

6. Partners + Napier, a mid-size advertising agency in Rochester, NY, has an amazing internship program.
Except...no one knows about it.
The Client The Unique Problem The Deliverable
Brandcamp at Partners + Napier gives interns In the summer of 2010, Partners had over 100 With zero budget and a very limited amount
a chance to do more than just fetch coffee for applicants for ten intern positions at the agency. of time (about three weeks) to develop and launch
executives. Those accepted into the summer-based However, all ten that were eventually accepted a site, it was important to both our team and the
program have a chance to not only get their hands shared that they had had trouble finding relevant, agency to have a simple yet effective piece. Based
dirty working with real brands like Kodak, Thule, concrete information about the program through on the brief, the creatives decided to create a site
Sorrento, and Excellus, but also to become a real traditional research methods. (Ok, so, the internet.) that was an all-in-one--that is, a long page that
part of the agency family. Citing a lack of real knowledge about it, all of incorporated all of the information that our target
those eventually chosen had found their way to the wanted. In one place, in one go, in one look. Unique,
The Target program through a friend or acquaintance that had stylish, and totally Brandcamp. Bam.
The 18-30 year old college student that some connection to the agency itself.
feels the pressure to make his or her way in the But It’s Not Always That Easy
competitive world of advertising. This individual The Research The all-in-one scrolling page idea was not
wants the competitive edge that an internship can We asked 100 people in our target to take a without its flaws. How would we get people to start
give them, but has concerns about feeling ready to survey for us, asking them about their fears, desires, scrolling--and more importantly, keep scrolling? We
enter the job market without the right skillset. and needs when it came to their summer internship. solved this issue by making a website design that
A go-getter with high expectations. Doesn’t We also asked them about the information that was visually flowing, drawing the eye down the
believe in following the crowd. Trusts unfailingly in would be most relevant to them, and the ways page, and by adding a static menu bar that literally
their own potential and is always seeking a chance that they wanted to see it presented. Most of the encouraged the viewer to keep looking.
to prove him or herself. Social media is an addiction. answers we got dealt with anxiety about not
Tech savvy. Fixated on a need to be connected. being accepted or treated well by senior agency
employees during their internship.
INSIGHT PROMISE
“Belonging breeds creative comfort.” “A family of creative ideamakers.”
THE POINT
Partners + Napier’s agency values are family, ingenuity, and courage. Out of these three, we realized that the “family”
aspect is what sets Brandcamp at Partners + Napier apart from other programs. While all other internships would be pushing
their fantastic experiences and portfolio work, we would take Brandcamp’s own superiority as a given--and instead push the
belongingness aspect with a website that made our market feel like they were a part of the experience from the get-go. If interns
felt like a part of the company, they would feel more comfortable with putting forth their very best and brightest ideas.

7. Screenshots of the
all-in-one site, showing off the
integrated, flowing design
Static scrollbar encourages
viewer to keep scrolling down
the page
Simple, easy to find information
outlines the program point-blank

8. Creative Brief
Campaign Design
Print and Direct Mail Creative

9. Sometimes, writing grants to receive funding for your non-profit can be challenging and rewarding.
It just stops being fun when you have to do it constantly.
The Client The Unique Problem The Deliverable
Women Helping Girls is a small non- Women Helping Girls is run by a team of four We developed a dirt-cheap print campaign
profit organization, an offshoot of the American women. These four women must somehow, amongst for WHG that was bright and heavily typographic,
Association of University Women located in themselves, coordinate all the grant writing, mentors,playing off the organization’s current logo. These
Rochester, New York. While education of all children and events for the students amongst themselves. In print pieces were designed to be printed on a
is important to WHG, the group currently focuses a city of over 20,500 females under the age of home printer, and plastered guerilla-style all over
on providing mentoring services to middle and 19, WHG is finding itself needing more and more the city. To relate the print campaign to our target
high school girls at the Wilson Magnet Academy in financial help. (who often was too busy to notice it on the streets),
downtown. But where do you get this help? Our goal was we developed direct mail pieces in bright, WHG
It was begun by local teachers, and prides itself to create relationships for WHG with a campaign branded envelopes to catch their attention. The
on its close ties to the community. that was clever and 100% different from anything letters inside had nothing to do with asking for
our target had ever seen from a charity before. Oh money--they simply praised the target’s intelligence
The Target yeah, and we had zero budget. Bring it. and ambition, and acknowledged their success.
Our primary targets for this campaign were The second part of this campaign involved
The Research asking businesswomen to come and give lectures to
female CEO’s, presidents, and executives in large
We pulled from our experiences working for the the girls of WHG. This promoted camaraderie and
corporations located in the Rochester area. These
high-powered female business owners of Rochester, established a relationship.
women are 40-65, own thriving businesses, and have
and also studied the current advertising campaigns Finally, we developed an idea for a series of
families. They’re pseudo-feministic, love being seen
of our competition--that is, other non profits in the Rochester-themed events. Since WHG knew the city
as philanthropists, and need to have an active, hands-
city. After all, this philanthropic target could give to and its culture so closely, they would be a figurative
on role in making sure their business is a success.
anyone--we wanted to convince them to give to as well as literal gateway to interesting pieces of the
For them, that means making sure the basis for their
us. We also closely questioned WHG itself to find Rochester social landscape.
business--the community--is a success.
out what they admired about larger non-profits, and
what their goals were.
INSIGHT PROMISE
“I want to actively affect the success of my city, by “A gateway to connection with the
contributing to a cause I empathize with.” city, its people, and its success.”
THE POINT
We wanted to appeal to people’s intelligence...not their pity. Most charities asked for large donations point-blank, and this
approach was so overdone that it wouldn’t have worked with our target market. By directly approaching and acknowledging our
successful and strong target audience, by looking them in the eye and saluting them, and by being their go-to relationship manager
when it came to Rochester, NY--WHG would be able to secure their friendship and patronage.

10. Both the print campaign and
the direct mail piece were designed
to be artful and eye-catching, printed
on bright papers and, in the case
of the piece on the right, mailed in
brightly colored envelopes..
The envelope was designed
to be eye-catching, and stand out
Lauren Dixon amongst a pile of otherwise boring
CEO
Dixon & Schwabl office mail
1595 Moseley Rd.
Victor, NY 14564

11. You can see I’m all about the process.
As a hungry, thinking Account Planner, I’m more than just the brains behind
the operation. I’m also the Vice President of Coordination, the Representative
of Creative, and sometimes--the Senator of Sanity. I embrace the idea of
working with ideas, and with the people who have them.

12. Idea people like me too.
Here’s some nice things they’ve said about me.
“Lili is an extremely dedicated and driven individual, who takes pride in each job she
does. She was able to immerse herself in the jobs that she was given and never shied
away from the challenges thrown in her path. Lili...became someone her team viewed as
a leader. Her positive attitude and desire to learn more made her a go to person when
work needed to be done. Lili would be an asset to anyone who is looking for a dedicat-
ed Account Planner, and I highly recommend her.”
-Melissa Smith, Project Manager, Partners + Napier
“Lili is great to work with - smart, accomodating, fast and used her initiative to fill any
uncertainties...and she also has tonnes of enthusiasm which I love.”
-John Roberts, Chief Strategy Officer, Partners + Napier
“Lili’s intelligence, talent and quick wit made her an asset to our agency...”
-Carrie Krasucki, HR Manager, Partners + Napier

13. Education Advertising/Public Relations B.S. August 2011
Concentration in Writing Studies
Rochester Institute of Technology
Professional Photographic Illustration A.A.S. May 2009
Rochester Institute of Technology
Experience Roberts Communications
Account Coordinator August 2011–June 2012
-Handle day-to-day administrative activities including billing, budgeting, estimating, job closing
and opening, and meeting coordination.
-Utilized Advantage, WebVantage, and AdAssist to provide up to date reporting on client projects.
-Worked directly with Xerox sales representatives to coordinate and implement Xerox-branded
events nationwide and in Canada.
-Created, trafficked, and delivered final pieces to clients in the realm of brochures, pull-ups,
billboards (digital and traditional), research, RFP’s, creative briefs, concept boards, corporate
advertisements, event materials, direct mail and e-mail campaigns (through Business Builder,
Constant Contact, and Exact Target.)
Office of Parking & Transportation, Rochester Institute of Technology
Student Marketing Strategy Specialist April 2011-present
-Wrote long-term strategy for all department communications to the student body
-Developed a strategic campaign to increase campus shuttle ridership
-Led numerous presentations to Facilities Management executives
-Drafted proposals for changes to parking and shuttle rules, regulations, and scheduling
-Created extensive research surveys and studies to better understand RIT’s students
Partners + Napier Rochester Office
Account Planning Assistant May 2010 - August 2010
-Developed two creative briefs for Kodak products, revealed in Jan. ‘11
Liliya Plotkina -Created competitive review decks for Kodak, Basuch & Lomb, Sorrento, Friendship Brands, and
Constellation Brands.
585.354.2456 -Crafted strategy and layout plan for P + N internship program website
-Consumer research using iconoculture, 4A’s, and face-to-face interviewing
lili.plotkin@gmail.com